Trustees' Annual Report for the period From Period start date To Period end date 01 04 2020 31 03 2021 Section A Reference and administration details Charity name Oxford for Romania - Other names charity is known by Registered charity number (if any) 1173125 Charity's principal address Flat 18, The Hampden Building, High Street, Kidlington, Oxfordshire Postcode OX5 2FN
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
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Name of person (or body)
Dates acted if not for
Trustee name Office (if any) entitled to appoint trustee
whole year
(if any)
Maria Cristina Suciu Chair of the Board of Trustees
1
Board
2 Sorina Campean Board of Trustees
Victor Andrei Board of Trustees
3
Diaconu
4 Alma Iatan Board of Trustees
5 Oana Lang Board of Trustees
6 Mariuca Morariu Board of Trustees
7 Ciprian Plostinar Board of Trustees
8 Oana Romocea Board of Trustees
9 Cristian Soitu Board of Trustees
Names and addresses of advisers:
Type of adviser Name Address
Strategic Adina Bradeanu Oxford, UK
Strategic Andra Necula London, UK
Strategic Sandor Kruk Leiden, The Netherlands
Strategic Monica Enescu Oxford, UK
Strategic Cristian Roman Oxford, UK
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Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)
Currently, Oxford for Romania does not employ any staff and relies exclusively on volunteers.
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Section B Structure, governance and management
Description of the charity’s trusts
Constitution Type of governing document (eg. trust deed, constitution) Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) How the charity is constituted (eg. trust, association, company) Apart from the first charity trustees, every trustee is appointed for a Trustee selection methods term of three years by a resolution passed at a properly convened (eg. appointed by, elected by) meeting of the charity trustees. In selecting individuals for appointment as charity trustees, the charity trustees must have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of Oxford for Romania. New trustees have been appointed following vote of Board of Trustees based on evaluating the candidate’s skills, knowledge and experience, as well as a written application form which was discussed by the board.
Additional governance issues (Optional information)
| Youmay chooseto include additional information, where relevant, about: ●policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees; ●the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works; ●relationship with any related parties; ●trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them. |
Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees: New trustees are invited to several meetings where the vision and the strategy for Oxford for Romania is extensively discussed, as well as the common practices and ways of working. In addition, upon joining the board of trustees, they are given the following documents: - Oxford for Romania Governing Document. - Oxford for Romania Annual Reports from previous years. - Oxford for Romania Volunteers Code of Conduct. - Charity Trustee Welcome Pack - a practical document to help you get started in your new role (from The Charity Commission). - The Trustee Guide - a more generic document on the roles and duties of a charity trustee (from The Charity Commission). - The Hallmarks of an Efective Charity - set of guidelines to help trustees improve the efectiveness of a charity (from The Charity Commission). - Safeguarding Duties for Charity Trustees - a set of guidelines on safeguarding. - The Charities Act 2011. - The Charitable Incorporated Organisations General Regulations. |
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- The Charitable Incorporated Organisations Dissolution Regulations.
Oxford for Romania organisational structure:
Currently, Oxford for Romania has the following structure: Boards: - Board of Trustees - Board of Advisors Core Teams: - Admissions - Communications & PR - Fundraising - Logistics and Operations - Programme Additional Key Roles - Alumni Network Coordinator - Evaluation Coordinator - Finance and Accounting Coordinator - Student and Parent Liaison - Data Protection Officer
Additional Key Roles - Summer School Week - IT Support - Media Specialist - Social Activities Coordinators - Student Coordinators - Student Welfare
Other Projects - Student Projects (Coordinators and Tutors) - Online seminars and workshops - Mentorship Programme (Coordinators and Mentors) - Alumni Meeting (Coordinators and Mentors)
Relationship with any related parties
N/A
Trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them:
Our current organisational model relies exclusively on volunteer time as Oxford for Romania does not employ any staff. As the charity expands, the implementation of additional programmes will require additional time from our current team, thus risking overloading our volunteers and therefore limiting the ability to efficiently deliver our key objectives and activities.
Consequently, strengthening the team of volunteers is one of our top priorities. This is currently carried out through networking, regular recruitment events in the Oxford student community as well as through the wider UK Romanian community.
Our current financial model relies on ad-hoc fundraising, thus limiting our ability to make long-term financial commitments. We
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are currently evaluating methods of attracting additional strategic partners, as well as accessing higher value grants offered by organisations with interest in education. This would allow us to employ staff to take on some of the administrative and organisational work.
Due to policy changes following Brexit, several of our core activities are significantly impacted. We are particularly concerned about access to higher education in the UK for EU citizens. One of the priorities of the board for the near future is to agree on a strategy moving forward.
The Global Covid-19 pandemic has severely affected our volunteer network, the larger Oxford for Romania community and our ability to deliver our core programmes and recruit new team members.
Section C Objectives and activities
For the public benefit to advance the education of young Romanians with academic potential coming from less privileged backgrounds in particular, but not exclusively by:
Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document
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Organising a periodic summer school in Oxford and awarding scholarships to cover participation costs.
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Developing and providing specialist mentoring schemes.
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Establishing long-term local and international networks within the Romanian community to provide further support and develop access to education.
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Oxford for Romania aims to provide access to life-changing opportunities to young people through transformational learning experiences and mentorship.
Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit)
With the help of the academic and professional community in Oxford and the rest of the UK, and with support from partners, friends, and people who believe in our vision, we have launched a yearly summer school in Oxford, offering an inspiring educational experience for high school students from Romania with great academic potential, but limited financial means. We empower young people through high-quality teaching on a variety of topics, meetings with professionals and academics, career advice and long-term mentorship.
So far, Oxford for Romania has organised four editions of the summer school (2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019), bringing each time 24 students to Oxford. A unique programme of lectures, workshops, seminars and tutorials was developed, offering an excellent balance between STEM, arts and humanities topics and community involvement as well as personal development. This was then continued with ongoing nourishing and building of the alumni network.
In 2020, given that travel and gatherings were severely restricted due to the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns, we had to take the difficult decision to cancel the summer school and focus on delivering an online programme.
Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit:
The trustees confirm that they are aware of the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.
Additional details of objectives and activities
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| Youmay chooseto include further statements, where relevant, about: ● policy on grantmaking; ● policy programme related investment; ● contribution made by volunteers. |
Policy on grant making: Oxford for Romania, may choose as the trustees see ft, to make small grants available to student lead community projects that are aligned with the charity main objectives and activities. Policy programme related investment: Oxford for Romania does not currently make Programme Related Investments. Contribution made by volunteers: The charity is 100% volunteer run, with individuals leading admissions, event logistics, communication, programme creation, teaching during the summer school, alumni coordination and mentorship as well as fundraising. |
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Section D Achievements and performance Summary of the main Through its unique summer school, the charity aims to bring a achievements of the change in the mindset and life opportunities of young people in charity during the year Romania with great academic potential coming from less privileged backgrounds. We are now a community where four alumni cohorts, helped by over 40 volunteers, are confidently building a future for themselves and their communities. In 2020, given that travel and gatherings were severely restricted due to the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns, we had to take the difficult decision to cancel the summer school. Instead, we have launched an online seminar series that had over 600 regular participants. At the time this was the largest online classroom in Romania for high-school students. The main theme was “Change” and we discussed topics like climate change, community change, changes brought by new economics and artificial intelligence, changing your story as well as reflections on the science of happiness. The series were extremely well received with very positive overall feedback from all participants. At the same time the extended Oxford for Romania network continued to offer support and mentorship to the existing alumni community. This was particularly valuable as the disruption brought by the pandemic and the severe lockdowns had a palpable negative impact on almost everyone. Achievements against objectives set:
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The organisation delivered on the objectives set, including on the stretch goal to increase involvement with the alumni community.
We continued to maintain our core team and contact with our volunteers even though we had to cancel our summer school.
We organised a very successful online seminar series with a very broad participation.
We maintained close contact with our alumni community.
Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set
For the reporting period, a total of £4204 was raised from crowdfunding. This is well below our yearly target of ~£25,000. This is due to the fact that we didn’t have an in person event and thus we could not access our usual grants or funding from our strategic partners.
Investment performance against objectives
Oxford for Romania does not hold any investments.
Section E Financial review
Brief statement of the charity’s policy on reserves
All cash reserves remaining at the end of the 2020 are to be used for the 2021 edition, in the same way as previously agreed with the sponsors.
Details of any funds materially in deficit
N/A
Further financial review details (Optional information)
You may choose to include Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of additional information, the period: where relevant about:
● the charity’s principal At the end of the reporting period, the charity had remaining sources of funds (including cash funds with a total value of £27162. This amount is a total any fundraising); of the cash funds remaining from the 2019/2020 financial year ● how expenditure has (£23181) and the additional fundraising done this year (£4204) supported the key minus our expenses.
● how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity;
Our expenses were very low given that we only had events online (£223).
● investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted.
The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising):
Normally our main funds come from strategic partners in the UK and Romania, grant-making foundations, and crowdfunded
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donations. This year we have had only crowdfunded donations.
Amount of reserves held:
On the 31st of March 2020, the total amount of reserves held was £27162.
How expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity:
Oxford for Romania expenditure is directed towards the key objectives listed in the governing document of the charity: organising the summer school and making the participation of the students possible (the main project of the charity), as well as the secondary project of the alumni reunion, aimed at supporting our growing alumni community. Due to the pandemic, our expenses were very limited as we only had events online.
Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted:
Oxford for Romania does not hold any investments.
Section F Other optional information
Corporate trustees:
N/A
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity:
N/A
Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others:
N/A
Exemptions from disclosure:
N/A
Section G Declaration
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Signature(s)
Full name(s) Ciprian Plostinar
Position (eg Secretary, Trustee Chair, etc)
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Date 31/01/2022
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Charity Name N Oxford for Romania 1
Receipts and payments acco
For the period from
Period start date
To 1/4/2020
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted funds
to the nearest £
Restricted Endowment funds funds
to the nearest £ to the nearest £
A1 Receipts
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Strategic Partners - - -
Fundraising 4,204 - -
Grants - - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
4,204 - -
Sub total (Gross income for AR)
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A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
- - -
- - -
Sub total [ - ] - -
Total receipts 4,204 - -
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A3 Payments
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Accommodation - - -
Transport - - -
Food - - -
Materials - - -
Insurance - - -
OFR Grants - - -
Alumni Reunion - - -
Website 223 - -
- - -
Sub total 223 - -
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
- - -
- - -
Sub total - - -
Total payments 223 - -
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CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
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| Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end **Cash funds this year end ** |
3,981 | - | - | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | |||
| 23,181 | - | - | |||
| 27,162 | - | - |
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
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Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of
Categories
B1 Cash funds
B2 Other monetary assets
Details
Bank statement balance
Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s))
Details
Unrestricted funds
to nearest £ 27,162 - - 27,162 OK Unrestricted funds
to nearest £
-
B3 Investment assets
Details
Fund to which asset belongs
-
B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use
Details
Fund to which asset belongs
-
B5 Liabilities
Details
Fund to which liability relates
-
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees
| Signature Print N Ciprian P |
Signature Print N Ciprian P |
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| Ciprian P | |
CCXX R3 accounts (SS)
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o (if any)
173125 ounts CC16a
Period end date 31/3/2021
Total funds Last year
to the nearest £ to the nearest £
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4,204 -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
4,204 -
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-
- -
- -
4,204 -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
223 -
- -
223 -
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-
-
- -
223 -
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CCXX R4 accounts (SS)
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4
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3,981 -
- -
23,181 -
27,162 -
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CCXX R5 accounts (SS)
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5
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the period
Restricted Endowment
funds funds
to nearest £ to nearest £
- -
- -
- -
- -
OK OK
Restricted Endowment
funds funds
to nearest £ to nearest £
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
Current value
Cost (optional)
(optional)
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
Current value
Cost (optional)
(optional)
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
Amount due When due
(optional) (optional)
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
Name Date of approval
lostinar 31-01-2021
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CCXX R6 accounts (SS)
6
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